Temple Kehillat Chaim sits on a quiet block of Green Street in historic Roswell, Georgia, where it has been a fixture of north metro Atlanta Jewish life since 1987. Its name means "Community of Life," and the congregation that lives up to it describes itself with three words: inclusive, intimate, and innovative. Founded in 1982 by Rabbi Harvey J. Winokur and the congregation's first president, Alan Abrams, Temple Kehillat Chaim (often shortened to TKC) began with fifteen families meeting for prayer and learning and grew, over four decades, into a Reform congregation that draws members from Roswell, East Cobb, Alpharetta, Milton, Johns Creek, Sandy Springs, Dunwoody, Woodstock, Cumming, Cherokee County, and well beyond. Today the temple is home to a religious school that runs from pre-K through tenth grade, a Jewish preschool for infants and toddlers, active youth groups, weekly Shabbat worship in person and on YouTube, and the steady rhythms of a community that takes pride in knowing one another by name.
A Kehillah Born at a Chinese Restaurant
Rabbi Winokur was a young assistant rabbi at another Atlanta synagogue in the spring of 1982 when he and his fellow congregant and friend Alan Abrams began imagining something new: a congregation that would reach out in a different way to interfaith families, Jews-by-choice, and those who wanted a less traditional approach to Jewish life. The idea took shape over dinner at a Chinese restaurant - the kind of late-evening, scheming-over-lo-mein conversation that has launched more than one Jewish institution - and within months, fifteen families had committed. They gathered wherever they could: a bank, rented school classrooms, the fellowship halls of several churches. All of those first homes were inside the perimeter, where the Jewish population of Atlanta was already concentrating.
By 1987 the congregation had grown large enough to want a permanent home, and the move to historic Roswell felt right even though it cost the temple some members who could not follow outside the perimeter. The Roswell building - expanded in 1997 by a fifteen-thousand-square-foot addition housing classrooms, a library, the preschool, and a social hall, and again in 2004 with renovations to the sanctuary, chapel, lobby, and landscaping - remains the kehillah's center today. The award-winning stained glass windows in the sanctuary and chapel are the work of Atlanta artist Flora Rosefsky, and they give the worship space a distinctly local artistic signature.
Rabbi Winokur served Temple Kehillat Chaim for thirty-six of his forty-two years in the rabbinate before retiring in June 2018 and being named the congregation's first Rabbi Emeritus. His successor, Rabbi Jason Holtz, is the temple's second senior rabbi.
Rabbi Jason Holtz and the Rabbinate of Welcome
Rabbi Holtz grew up in an interfaith family. His Italian Catholic grandmother married his Jewish grandfather in 1929 - a rare and difficult choice at the time, made against considerable disapproval from his grandfather's family - and his mother was raised Catholic. His father was Jewish. By the time his parents married in 1973, the climate had changed enough that the rabbi who married them welcomed them warmly, and both Rabbi Holtz and his sister were raised Jewish; his mother formally converted. His childhood still included a Christmas tree, Easter egg hunts, and his grandmother's lasagna, and a cousin who became an Episcopal priest. That personal history shapes his rabbinate. He is committed to welcoming interfaith families, LGBTQ+ people, Jews-by-choice, people of color, and Jews from every movement or none at all.
Ordained at Hebrew Union College - Jewish Institute of Religion, Rabbi Holtz previously served congregations in Arizona and the United Kingdom before arriving at Temple Kehillat Chaim with his wife, Jodi, and their young sons, Asher and Ezra. He is active in the Atlanta Rabbinic Association, the Central Conference of American Rabbis, and on the board of the Jewish Community Relations Council of Atlanta. Each summer he serves on the rabbinic faculty at Camp Coleman, and he teaches regularly at Senior Enriched Learning in Roswell, where recent courses have included "How a Rabbi Reads Genesis" and "A History of Big Ideas that Changed the World."
His teaching at TKC includes a lively Wednesday afternoon adult learning class on a wide variety of Jewish topics and an Introduction to Judaism course. His sermons, often posted to the temple's blog, weave classical sources, modern philosophy, and contemporary experience. In a recent Rosh Hashanah sermon he considered what artificial intelligence cannot replace about the human soul. In his Kol Nidrei sermon for 5787 he drew on Rashi's humility, the disagreement between the House of Hillel and the House of Shammai, and a Ted Lasso darts scene to argue that conviction without curiosity leads to blindness, and that the wisest among us learn from everyone. In a D'var Torah for Pride Shabbat he addressed members of the LGBTQ+ community directly: "This is your community. I don't even know that I can say 'we accept you,' or 'we love you,' because 'we' includes you."
Rabbi Emeritus Harvey Winokur remains actively connected to the congregation. A Brooklyn native who was raised on Long Island and in Buffalo, he earned his B.A. at SUNY Buffalo and his M.A. and ordination at Hebrew Union College - Jewish Institute of Religion in Cincinnati. He is a Facilitator and Trainer for Prepare-Enrich, a Jewish Spiritual Director, and a Trainer and Facilitator for the Mussar Institute.
Shabbat at Temple Kehillat Chaim
Weekly worship is the heartbeat of the congregation. Shabbat evening services are held in the sanctuary at 7:00 PM every Friday and are streamed live on the temple's YouTube channel, so members and friends who cannot be there in person never have to miss them. Saturday mornings bring two parallel rhythms. When a student is becoming b'nai mitzvah, the service is held in the sanctuary at 10:30 AM. On other Shabbat mornings, a devoted minyan gathers online from 9:45 to 11:30 AM on Zoom for a study session and Torah and Haftarah readings led by the rabbi. A separate weekly Torah Study meets on Zoom at 10:00 AM on Saturday mornings for an engaged, text-focused conversation about the weekly portion.
Two specialty Shabbatot round out the week. Children's Shabbat is held during the school year on the third Friday of each month at 6:00 PM and is designed for the congregation's littlest members, ages two through seven. Youth Engagement Shabbat happens three times a year during a Friday evening service, when the service itself is written and facilitated by the temple's youth group students under the supervision of their advisors. Festival services are held on the eve of the holiday; the annual calendar lists each date.
The worship style draws on Reform Jewish liturgy with a wide range of musical settings. Many prayers are available as audio recordings on the temple's prayer recordings page, including Kabbalat Shabbat and Ma'ariv for Friday evening, the full Saturday morning liturgy, the High Holy Days, and Kitat B'reisheet (the first prayers taught in Religious School), so members can follow along at home, prepare to lead parts of the service, or simply settle into Shabbat with their favorite recordings.
Seeds of Wonder Journey School
The preschool on the TKC campus is Seeds of Wonder Journey School, an independent Jewish preschool that welcomes children from twelve weeks old through age six. Full-time and part-time options are available, with school-year (August through May) and year-round (August through August) schedules. The day is built around an inquiry-based model: early morning exploration from 8:00 to 9:00, interest-based learning from 9:00 to 1:00, rest and refresh from 1:00 to 3:30, and afternoon play from 3:30 to 5:30. Class sizes are intentionally small, capped at six to twelve children.
Seeds of Wonder draws its philosophy from the Jewish concept of b'tzelem elohim - that each child is created in God's image. Master teachers support children as they co-construct their learning around their own curiosity, listening to each child's needs and nurturing individual learning styles. Families with a child enrolled at Seeds of Wonder are eligible for a free Temple Kehillat Chaim membership, which the congregation sees as one of the easiest ways for a young family to plug into Jewish community life.
The Mitzner Family Religious School
The Mitzner Family Religious School - MFRS - is where Temple Kehillat Chaim's older children come on Sunday mornings during the school year to learn, connect, and build Jewish identity. The school serves pre-K through tenth grade, with teenage helpers (madrichim) continuing through twelfth grade. The cornerstones of the program are faith in God, love of Torah, and identification with the Jewish people and Israel through involvement in the synagogue and Jewish life. Hebrew instruction is primarily one-on-one tutoring so that each student receives personalized learning.
Curriculum descriptions are published as a PDF on the Religious School page. The fee is fifty dollars per student, capped at one hundred dollars per family. Families curious about the program are invited to visit on a Sunday morning or reach out to the office.
The full Jewish journey at TKC runs from Seeds of Wonder through Religious School, B'nai Mitzvah, and the Chai 5 Confirmation program for teens. The temple sees Bar and Bat Mitzvah - "son and daughter of the commandment" - not as the end of Jewish education but as the beginning of a lifelong exploration. Families are invited to schedule their child's date roughly two years before their thirteenth birthday, and the temple guides them through every stage of preparation.
Chai 5 and Confirmation
After becoming b'nai mitzvah, eighth, ninth, and tenth graders may participate in Chai 5 as they prepare for Confirmation. The program gives students opportunities to learn and volunteer, including a trip to Washington, D.C., and many students also participate in the synagogue through youth groups and as madrichim in the Religious School. The current curriculum, developed by Rabbi Holtz together with Lori Dreffin and Michelle Erste, is built around Hillel's ancient teaching: "If I am not for myself, who will be for me? If I am only for myself, what am I? If not now, when?" In the first half of the year students turn inward - exploring personal and spiritual growth, character and values, and practices like Shabbat as support for self-care and reflection. In the second half they turn outward, examining what it means to be part of a community, a broader society, and the Jewish people.
Youth Groups from Third Grade Through High School
Klub 345, advised by Suesan Phillips, is the congregation's youth engagement group for third through fifth graders. The kids play games, sleep over at the temple for a Shabbaton, and take on mitzvah projects. Recent events have included a Cupcake Wars evening and a Youth Engagement Havdallah, and the year closes with a Lounge Day and Color War day.
The Junior Youth Group, or JYG, is open to sixth, seventh, and eighth graders and is advised by Ashley Abrams and Donna Waller. Monthly outings have included roller skating, a chocolate factory visit, laser tag, bowling, and lock-ins.
RAFTY - the Roswell Area Federation of Temple Youth - is the temple's senior youth group, open to all TKC high school students and advised by Jason Simon. RAFTY hosts monthly dinners, lock-ins, RAFTY in the City outings, an annual trip to Uncle Shuck's Farm for the corn maze and hayride bonfire, Cupcake Wars, and social action events such as the Hunger Walk benefiting the Atlanta Food Bank. Members also attend NFTY-SAR events throughout the year, including leadership training at the Liz Leadership Training Institution (LLTI), Fall Kallah, Winter Regional, and Spring Kallah. NFTY, the North American Federation of Temple Youth, is the Reform movement's broader teen community, and NFTY-SAR gathers Reform Jewish teens from twenty-two Temple Youth Groups across northern Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, and parts of North Carolina.
Adult Learning, Chavurah, and Lifelong Conversation
Adults at Temple Kehillat Chaim learn in many settings. Rabbi Holtz leads a weekly Wednesday afternoon discussion on a variety of Jewish topics, free to attend and open to anyone who reaches out to the office. Recordings of Friday evening and Saturday morning prayers, the High Holy Days, and the Kitat B'reisheet foundational prayers are available online so members can prepare, follow along, or simply deepen their practice at home.
Many members find their closest friendships through a chavurah, a small group of chaverim (friends). Some chavurot gather monthly for a Shabbat or Havdalah dinner; others plan picnics, pool parties, theater outings, or attend temple events as a group. There is no right or wrong way to participate - each group determines its own course and develops its own personality. The temple matches newcomers with a chavurah based on a brief intake form, and Kathy Starr coordinates the program.
Music, Choir, and the Sound of the Kehillah
Music is central to life at TKC. The Adult Choir enhances the High Holy Days and select services throughout the year. No prior music-reading or Hebrew background is required, only a love of singing. The Junior Choir is offered to children in grades two through seven and meets twice a month, singing at monthly Family Shabbat services and at concerts and programs around the congregation. Kyra Goldman is the temple's Music Director. Melissa Goldberg works with the Adult Choir.
The congregation maintains a library of prayer recordings on SoundCloud - the Sh'ma in traditional chant and High Holy Day settings, the High Holy Amidah, Avot V'imahot chanted, Bar'chu, Chatsi Kaddish, G'ulah, G'vurot, Hashkivenu, Hoda'ah, the Friday evening and Saturday morning Kiddush in several settings, Ma'ariv Aravim, Mi Chamocha (in both a standard version and one performed by Elana Arian), Mi Shebeirach, Mourner's Kaddish, Motsi read and chanted, R'tzei, the Shabbat candle blessings in read and chanted versions, Shalom Rav, Sh'ma, Sim Shalom, Tallit Blessing, the Torah and Haftarah blessings, V'ahavta, V'ne-emar, Aleinu, Eloheinu, L'dor Vador, Morning Blessings with English, Shehu Noteh, Chanukah blessings, and the Four Questions. Many are also posted to the temple's YouTube channel.
Community, Tikkun Olam, and Caring for One Another
The Sisterhood is the congregation's women's organization. Open to all women affiliated with the temple, including those who are not Jewish, Sisterhood is a friendship network that runs social programs, study sessions, and social action projects. Sisterhood hosts a Women's Seder that tells the Passover story through the contributions of the women who shaped the Exodus, collects gift cards for donations to the Drake House, and organizes events that serve the community and celebrate the women of the congregation.
The Brotherhood organizes family events at TKC and manages many of the operational activities that keep religious and social events running. Brotherhood members are highly visible as ushers for the High Holy Days and support the school with Chanukah Palooza. The group also supports a wide range of charitable organizations in the North Fulton area.
The Caring Corps is the congregation's network for taking care of its own, supporting members in times of illness, loss, and joy, including births and baby namings. The Lotte Sachs Caring Core Fund underwrites that work. The College Outreach program keeps the temple in touch with college-aged members who are away from home.
The temple has adopted an apartment at the Drake House, a Roswell-area transitional housing program, and maintains a Drake House Fund to support the families living there. Members also participate in the Hunger Walk benefiting the Atlanta Food Bank and other social action projects through RAFTY.
The Building, the Capital Campaign, and the Future
The Roswell campus has grown with the congregation. The fifteen-thousand-square-foot addition in 1997 brought classrooms, a library, the preschool, and a social hall. The 2004 renovations added the award-winning sanctuary and chapel, lobby, and landscaping, with Flora Rosefsky's stained glass anchoring the worship space. For the first time in more than twenty years, the congregation has launched a capital campaign to fund long-overdue improvements and maintenance. The new roof is already installed and fully paid for through the campaign. The work continues with the parking lot and social hall. Members and friends are invited to contribute to the campaign and to a wide range of named funds, including the Rabbi's Discretionary Fund, the Education Fund for youth scholarships and summer camp, the Winokur Music Fund, the Steve Bush Memorial Fund for Leadership Development, the Stephen L. Naman Facilities Fund, and the Temple's general endowment.
Bricks can be purchased in honor or memory of a loved one, and leaves on the Tree of Life are available for simchas. Yahrzeit plaques keep the memory of departed members and family present in the sanctuary. Giving is available online, and the temple has published a guide to Qualified Charitable Distributions and Donor-Advised Funds so members can align their financial planning with their Jewish values.
Joining the Kehillah
Membership at Temple Kehillat Chaim is structured to be open as possible. Family dues for the 2026-27 year are $3,216, with reduced rates for young adults, seniors, and singles. Families with a child at Seeds of Wonder Journey School receive a free temple membership. No one is turned away for financial reasons; approximately one fifth of the congregation receives dues assistance, and many others contribute above standard dues. Visitors are welcome to attend a Shabbat service or Family Shabbat to see if TKC feels like home, with no pressure to commit. The office is at 1145 Green Street in Roswell and can be reached at 770-641-8630. Office hours are Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday from 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM, Thursday closed, and Friday from 10:00 AM to 1:00 PM. Shabbat Shalom.